


unchained melody

by orphan_account



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 1960s Music, 60s, Alternate Universe - 1960s, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Blood and Violence, Bottom Kageyama Tobio, But Not Much, Car Chases, Card Games, Classic Cars, Hurts So Good, Jealous Oikawa Tooru, Karasuno Retail Shop, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possessive Behavior, Slow To Update, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, The Author Regrets Nothing, Top Oikawa Tooru, i promise its not as dark as the summary, like a lot, nice
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:40:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26561557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: They were not soulmates, because the concept hadn't been invented yet. They were just two men who met each other in this strange, little world.~~~The sun bathed the desert in bloody light, matching the crimson splattered across the front of Oikawa's expensive suit."The words on your wrist," Oikawa started, reddish hair blowing in the dry wind. He was smiling as if he had the whole world in his palm. In reality, he was only leaning back on the hood of his teal Lamborghini Espada, throwing a gun from hand to hand casually."What about them?" Kageyama said, fidgeting in his restraints. If not for the ropes around his wrists, then Oikawa's grin was sure to render him immovable. He pretended not to notice the dead man lying near his right leg."They're mine." his eyes glinted, and his lips smiled, as if he was a creature of pure bloodlust, the array of corpses around him doing nothing to satiate his hunger.Kageyama froze. A song drifted from the car's radio."Oh, my love, my darlingI've hungered for your touchA long, lonely time"~~~~~~~~~~~**currently on hiatus aha**
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 43
Kudos: 273





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

  
  


  
  


How terrible must it be, to find onesself facing the empty, dull void that is the barrel of a gun. Seemingly facing death in the eye, but not knowing whether it would come in a few moments, or be spared for another year or so.

Kageyama was not particularly affronted by the idea of dying, even if it should come as early in his life as it did. He'd miss that darn shortie, Hinata, and the rest of the Karasuno group, no doubt. Even Tsukishima.

He also was not too fond of the idea of never drinking milk on top of a car's hood, gun a dead weight in his hands that said so much yet never uttered a word. It would be truly tragic, furthermore, to never face the myriad of glimmering stars at midnight, the wind a cold, unfamiliar feeling in his throat that was not unpleasant in the least.

No, Kageyama pondered mildly, it would not do to get himself killed right now. Perhaps another day, when the sun wasn't shining so bright, or the endless highway seeming so inviting.

And with such thoughts in his mind, was that Tobio gathered to his feet, swaying with the wind. His hands tightened around the ropes pulled against them, and he faintly heard men shouting at him not to move lest they shoot.

He glanced off to the side, where a red 1965 Cadillac DeVille Convertible sat quietly, its hood shining in the evenin glight.

And most of all, he figured, it would not do to be offed before he'd give that bastard, Oikawa-something-or-the-other, a piece of his mind.

He craned his neck around, giving a loud _pop_.

  
  


~~~

  
  


There was little more to life other than driving down the sunset highways in a convertible that most definitely costed more than he'd ever dream of making in his entire lifetime, a car that most certainly was not his. He flicked his finger at a speck of blood staining the perfect windshield. Frankie Vallie's voice came from the radio, accompanying the wind hissing past Kageyama's ears.

He turned the volume up.

  
  


“ _You're just too good to be true_

_  
Can't take my eyes off of you_

_  
You'd be like Heaven to touch_

_  
I wanna hold you so much_

_  
At long last, love has arri -_ “

  
  


~~~

  
  


_Five days before_

  
  


Kageyama cursed loudly as Hinata nearly dropped the trunk on his fingers. He whipped his head around, eyes narrowing immediately at the man blinking innocently at him.

“Oops, sorry!” his best friend said, hand coming up at his mouth, not sounding apologetic at all. Kageyama turned down the volume, letting Frankie sing about his love in silence.

“Are you...” Tobio started, ready to give him a piece of his mind, when he noticed the faint fidgeting of Hinata. He straightened up dignifiedly, pulling down at his shirt a little. He looked directly into the other's eyes as he said, “You're nervous, aren't you?”

“Who-ah- _me_?” Hinata spluttered, rocking quite violently on his heels, “Nah, you're wrong. All that sitting under cars must have scrambled your brain, Bakageyama!”

He closed his eyes, hands twitching with the urge to burrow themselves in red hair. Still, he did not move, as he found that _no, Kageyama, killing your best friend is not going to make him understand you care_.

Instead, he exhaled slowly, before opening his eyes and saying, “You've got no reason to be. You won't even be meeting them.”

Hinata jumped forward, attaching himself to Kageyama's shirt, practically ruining it. (it was already ruined, but one should still mind another's clothes)

“Yes, but we made the cars! If they don't like somethin' it's us the blame will fall upon!”

Kageyama pushed him away from him, patting him awkwardly. “It's fine, if they find a problem I can deal with them.”

“O-oh, really?” Hinata said in awe, as if Kageyama being kind was a peculiarity. Tobio rolled his eyes. He whacked his friend across the back of his head, not hard enough to hurt, but at least smart enough a little.

“Yes, dumbass. Now, I think we deserve a treat after working our backsides off for two months, dontcha'?”

Hinata buzzed in his place with excitement, eyes gleaming, and hands twisting like he was still a kid.

“Oooooh, 'yama, are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?”

  
  


~~~

  
  


Kageyama was, indeed, thinking what Hinata was thinking.

He pulled at his shirt's collar, before throwing back a drink, and slamming the glass on the table. He'd never been to this bar before, but Hinata had apparently eard of it from Nishinoya, who heard of it from Tanaka, who heard of it from someone that Kageyama could not be bothered to remember.

They had managed to snatch an empty table near the corner, overlooking the entire establishment. They'd intially wanted to sit down at the one right in the center fo the room, but two burly men posed themselves in front of them, almsot in a threatening manner. It was clear someone important sat at that table, and judging by the way everyone in the room had stopped what they were doing to peer around at them, they were terribly reknown.

Kageyama did not mind. He liked seeing the entire picture, able to analyze it to his heart's content. He could even see the dirty look the wild, black-haired bartender was giving a lad who was picking his nose quite obviously.

  
  


He faced Hinata, who was squinting at his cards, face almost turning red. Kageyama glimpsed at his own hand, then back at his friend. Hinata was definitely going down.

“Remember the article that was in the newspaper last week,” Hinata started, placing down an ace of hearts. “About that smart fella talking about the writing, and all.”

Tobio glanced at Hinata, wondering if he was trying to distract Tobio so he wouldn't lose. It did not seem as much, as the shortie's eyes were staring off into space, unfocused.

  
  


Tobio snorted quietly, placing down a three of hearts of his own. “Yes, I do. And what about it?” he replied, absently scratching at his left wrist. It had been itching for quite some time now. Weird.

“We-well, he now said something about a whatever-the-not called... “ Hinata hesitated, rubbing at the back of his neck. He leaned in conspiratorially, “ ' _Soulmates_ '.”

Kageyama leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. “I know about souls, and all that. But I'm gon' admit I've never heard of ' _mates_ '. What do you think that is?” he scratched at his chin as he said that.

Hinata's face twisted as he tried to think, turning an unbecoming shade of purple. “I think I've heard some call their friends that. I don't find why.”

Tobio furrowed his brows, watching as Hinata shifted his cards a little. “ ' _Soul-friends_ '? What the heck is that?”

Or at least that's what he would've wanted to say, if not for having been interrupted by the doors of the bar opening with a loud creak. That wouldn't have attracted his attention, but everyone's heads turning around to look at the entrance _did_ make him perk up in curiosity.

Three men came into view. One with dark brown, spiky hair, whose frown seemed to be able to cut through steel. To his left stood a taller man, with white and grey hair slicked back, and whose grin was visible even from where Kageyama was sitting. The last person was a man once again, but he somehow seemed more docile than the other two. He had dark, curly hair, and a rather appealing figure.

They were all wearing slacks that seemed to cost more than Tobio made in an entire year.

As the entire room held its breath, Kageyama couldn't help but liken the situation to the Western cowboy movies that sometimes came on the television, what with all the figurative bad guys entering the bar dramatically and all.

  
  


The trio advanced forwards, and Kageyama took the time to inspect them, just in case he somehow – most improbable – would have to deal with them.

The man with two-toned hair walked slightly slouched, legs taking huge strides, as if he was confident in himself. If not for his walk, then the smirk on his face was sure to tell Tobio so.

The one in the center had his head pulled high, shoulders squared as if he was ready for people to start attacking him any time now. Like the other, his gait was that of a person sure of their own capability.

The last one was yet again, not as in-your-face as the other two, but that attracted Kageyama's attention ever the more. He was gazing off to the side in disinterest, but Tobio did not miss the sharp gleam in the man's eyes as he looked over the room.

  
  


He shifted his cards in his hands a little, peering back down at them. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the trio sit down at the table in the center, the burly guys who had stopped he and Hinata from standing there looking stiffer than before. Almost as if they were nervous.

The chatter slowly returned, though it was more toned down than before. Tobio took a swig of his whiskey, before gesturing at Hinata – who was staring at the strangers quite open-facedly – to make his own move.

“Who do you reckon those lads are?” his friend said, rounding his eyes on Kageyama, who was brushing a hand through his hair in disinterest.

“I don't know, and I frankly am not too interested. Possibly lawyers, considering the way they're decked out.” he shrugged, not believing his own words. It was obvious the men were something more than that, possibly even dangerous if the way everyone avoided looking at them for too long was saying something.

Considering Hinata's face, it was clear the man did not believe his words either, but he did not argue further. They continued their game of cards, the shortie occasionally sneaking glances at the men.

Tobio placed down a jack of spades, before throwing down his drink and slamming the glass on the table. He gathered his cards and laid them face-down, standing up from his seat. He brushed the nonexistent dust off his pants, ignoring Hinata's inquiring look.

“I'm going to grab another drink,” he shot his best friend a warning glare that promised bloodshed, “Don't peek at my cards lest my fist slips on your nose.”

Hinata grinned innocently, both of them knowing that neither would he peek at Tobio's hand, nor Tobio would punch him.

He snorted definitely-not-fondly, before walking towards the bar. He slipped on one of the tattered, red leather stools, picking at his nails and waiting for the bartender to show up.

Speak of the Devil and he shall appear.

“Kageyama,” Kuroo bid him, his smile causing him to look not unlike a cat. “What can I get you?”

“Kuroo,” Kageyama nodded back, gesturing he wanted a Sidecar. He watched as the man fiddled about, occasionally barking out orders to the other workers.

Tobio was not fooled by the average exterior. How could he, when the first meeting they'd had was Kuroo seeking shelter from a rival gang in the Karasuno Garage. He'd never forget the man's wild grin, nor the crimson painting his cheek.

Ever since then, they'd been somewhat friends, with Kuroo coming to visit them sometimes, when he wasn't doing bar work or chasing other criminals. He'd met almost everyone from Tobio's workplace, except for Yamaguchi, Nishinoya and Tsukishima, who never seemed to be around when the man decided to drop by.

  
  


He wasn't one for gossip, but still, he leaned forwards. “You know who they are?” he nudged his head towards the trio who were playing a game of poker.

Kuroo turned around questioningly, but a grin marred his face when he noticed who it was Tobio was referring to. He nodded, dropping a few clunks of ice in Kageyama's drink.

“Yes,” he said nonchalantly, and Tobio could hear the warm tone in his voice, “They're my co-workers, and my friends.”

If Tobio had a drink and was a lesser man, he would've choked on it. But he did not, and he was not, and so he settled on his natural frown twitching a little.

“Oh?” he mused, pretending not to notice the bemused glint in Kuroo's eyes. The man was intelligent, and he could read people incredibly well. There was no doubt he had noticed Kageyama's near slip-up. “Then how come people are terrified of them, but barely spare you a glance?”

He did not mean it in a mean way, and Kuroo did not take it as such. He pushed forwards the cocktail Tobio had ordered, before leaning back on the bar's ledge a little.

“I like to keep my identity secret,” Kuroo grinned, showcasing his sharp canines worthy of a cat. “They respect my decision, but prefer people to know of them.”

Kageyama hummed in response, opening his mouth to ask his acquaintance what his day was like, when the chair to his right was pulled with a screech. He glanced at the person, and was surprised to see it was the quiet-looking man from the trio.

He was facing forwards, eyes half-lidded unreadably. He seemed ready for everything and nothing all at once.

“Kuroo.” the man saluted the bartender, whose lips were now twisted with the smirk Kageyama knew meant he was planning something. He could almost see the cogs turning behind Kuroo's eyes.

He took a sip of his drink and pushed his chair back, ready to leave before Kuroo dragged him into any of his plans. He stopped, though, when said man started speaking.

“Akaashi, how are you?” the bartender leaned on one hand, the hair covering his right eye making him look a little frightening. “This is my friend, Kageyama.”

  
  


Tobio wanted to glare at the other, but it seemed 'Akaashi's' eyes missed nothing, and so he settled on sitting back down with a feeling of dark resignation.

“Hello,” he said awkwardly, offering one hand in front of him. He could not for the life of him make out why Kuroo was introducing them to each other. There was _always_ a hidden motive behind his actions. Always. (It kind of reminded him of Tsukishima a bit, if he was being honest.)

Akaashi took his hand, and looked hi directly in the eyes, leaving Tobio feeling as if the man knew all his secrets, and could read his very _soul_. Something sparkled in the man's dark eyes, like a star in the dead of night.

“Nice to meet you, Kageyama.”

Tobio gulped, suddenly feeling very nervous about this whole ordeal. Darn it, just let him play cards with Hinata!

“How you doin'?” Kuroo questioned Akaashi, who had – much to Tobio's relief – returned his gaze back to the bar.

“Good, good.” he murmured, before brushing a hand through his hair. Kageyama wanted to say he wasn't frightened by that average move, but then he'd be lying. It was almost as if he was expecting the man to whip out a gun and shoot them all, which was very wrong of him.

“-okuto's losing.” he focused back on the conversation, butt moving discreetly to the side, wondering if he could slip away unnoticed. Those dark eyes suddenly honed in on him, chilling his bones, and effectively making him sit still in his chair.

“Come play with us.” Akaashi said out of the blue, his tone still emotionless, but the order in his words was clear. Tobio wanted to start excusing him himself, but the man interrupted him, “It won't take long. Just a short Chase the Ace game, what do you say?”

But there was something disconcerting in the air that made Kageyama feel as if there were no question of saying yes or no. He nodded, and took a sip of his drink to hide his growing unsurety.

He absentmindedly nodded at Kuroo, before standing up from his seat, and following Akaashi, who was walking casually as if he held no care in the world. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hinata watching them with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and his eyes shining with questions. He walked behind the other, feeling as if he was heading towards his demise. He wondered if maybe if he slowed down enough Akaashi would forget he was there.

Alas, it was not meant to be.

They stopped in front of the table in the center, four faces turning around to look at them. The two guards who now eyed Kageyama with something akin to pity in their gazes, as if he were dead meat already. The other two were the men, who both seemed even handsomer up close.

“Iwaizumi, Bokuto,” Akaashi gestured at one, then another, then pointed at Tobio. “Kageyama.”

“Ohoho? Who's this?” the golden-eyed man, Bokuto, said, a grin pulling at his lips. “You never bring people over, 'kaashi.” his eyes rounded up on Kageyama, and suddenly his grin felt a little different, as if something dark was hidden behind it. Tobio could barely feel his blood running anymore.

“You must be special, 'yama.” It seemed the man had already taken the liberty of giving Tobio a nickname. He dared not argue.

“Nice to meet you.” he nodded in return, and had to mentally pat himself on the back for not stuttering at all. Fools. Not even them could get The Great Kageyama to stutter.

“Why don't you take a seat,” the third lad, Iwaizumi, said, scooting over a little to make room for Tobio on the tattered red leather. He sat down, legs twitching with the urge to walk away, just _walk away_. Though the men had not done anything to warrant fright he still felt like the prey right in the middle of the predator's nest.

Bokuto shuffled the deck, never once taking his eyes off Kageyama. His grin made Tobio fidget in his seat nervously.

“So how'd you and 'kaashi meet?” he asked, not blinking once. Before Tobio could answer, Akaashi rolled his eyes and placed a hand on Bokuto's shoulder. Kageyama caught a glimpse of writing on his wrist.

“It's not like that, Bokuto.” he said, his eyes turning somewhat fond. Something passed between the both of them, and Kageyama watched warily. When Bokuto turned back around, he seemed different than before, almost lighter. Tobio could not figure out the secret sign they had.

“You know the rules, right?” the silver-haired man smiled at him, much more open than before. As Tobio nodded, he distributed the cards around the table with the ease of someone who's been playing for a long time.

As he picked up his own hand, Iwaizumi turned towards him. “So, Kageyama, I've heard of you. You're quite famous, you know?”

He startled, glancing towards the man. Him? Famous? Not very likely.

“Don't give me that!” Iwaizumi patted his shoulder amiably, which nearly made Kageyama piss himself. “To us, car lovers, Karasuno Garage and all its workers are famous! Don't you know? We've only just recently requested a car of you.”

Tobio blinked in confusion, rubbing at his chin absentmindedly. He missed two pairs of eyes following his covered wrist. Sugawara had said someone called Lev had contacted them about a blue 13 Rolls Royce Phantom V.

He proceeded to tell the man so too, not once taking his attention from the game as well.

“Yes, Lev works with us.” Iwaizumi mused, lips quirking in a tiny smile.

Kageyama glanced around if only to not have to look at the other men. He spotted Hinata in the distance, his face twisted up in an expression he reserved for when he was scared but wanted to put up a tough front. A tall man leered over him, his back towards Tobio.

He was standing up before he realized, not even noticing his companions asking him what he was doing. He excused himself, nearly stepping on Akaashi's toes in his hurry to get up from the leather couch.

While he should've been wary to turn his back on such supposedly dangerous men, the only thing in his mind was helping Hinata from whatever trouble he had gotten himself into.

As he sped across the bar, his fists clenched more and more at his sides. He better not have to fight anyone.

As he reached Hinata, he patted the man's shoulder to get him to look at Tobio, being met with a pudgy, red face.

“Hey, you alright?” he nodded at his best friend first, who looked immensely relieved he was there. Hinata straightened up a little, brushing at his clothes. He gave a non-committal shrug.

“Oi, what's it to you?” the stranger barked in his face, and Kageyama for a moment was surprised to see him standing there. He had kind of forgotten about him.

“What's going on here?”

And so he set to nodding absentmindedly at whatever this pudgy man was angrily rambling about, much to the owner of a pair of indigo eyes' amusement.

Akaashi sipped from his drink mildly, watching as the dark-haired man looked at the red-faced lad with barely-contained boredom. After about three minutes of one-sided conversation, Kageyama and an orange-haired shortie Akaashi hadn't noticed before left. But not before the taller of the two nodded at Kuroo, then shot them one last glance as if he wasn't sure what had happened there.

Akaashi couldn't fault him. He didn't know what had possessed him to invite this absolute stranger to their table, but call it a feeling. He could tell that that man would somehow be important, one way or the other.

He shuffled the deck, much to Bokuto's displeasure.

  
  


~~~

  
  


“Alright, folks,” Sugawara clapped his hands, facing them with a big smile on his face. His name tag glinted like a bullet. “They're supposed to be arriving in about ten minutes. No reason to worry! I'm sure you've heard the rumors and what-not, but that's no reason to be afraid. You've done a great job, and after this I think we deserve a night in town, what'd you say?”

Some of them clapped and cheered (Nishinoya and Tanaka the loudest, of course), the other – meaning Tsukishima – muttered something intelligible under his breath, as if he didn't really want to go to the bar. Kageyama was sure he'd like Kuroo's bar. In fact, he was sure Tsukishima had never been there.

He was brought out of his reverie by Hinata placing a hand on his shoulder, making him look down at the man's grinning face.

“Hear that, Bakageyama!”

Tobio scoffed, though he was pleased to finally be done with this nerve-wracking job. He pulled the zipper from his uniform down a little, grabbing a glass of water to cool down. He sat down on the leather stool, watching the dirt road that could be seen under the open garage door.

The Karasuno Garage was quite on the edge of town, right across the street from an abandoned clothes shop. Well, street was exaggerating it. It was more a sprinkle of yellow dirt with rocks here and there. It definitely wasn't very pleasant to drive on that path.

Come to think of it, they were really quite popular, with customers coming every day to see them, even for the unfortunate placement. They should probably do something about that road.

“They're here!” someone shouted, making him jump out of his thoughts. He slowly threw back the glass, relishing in every last drop of cold water, before putting it down on the counter. He stood up from his chair, just as a teal Lamborghini Espada pulled into their make-shift driveway.

The front doors opened.

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna admit, i have no idea if Kemps even was around in the 60s, but for the sake of the story let's pretend it was.  
> Anyway, enjoy!

Tobio had heard of Oikawa Tooru, of course. He was the man you had to be living under a rock to not know about, the one person liked by everyone (which was pretty ironic, because this sole fact had brought him many enemies), the individual who could get you the world if you held his favor, or ruin your existence if otherwise.

In a way, Oikawa felt like some whole other entity, distant and unreachable, nevermind even speak to him. As if he were a being made out of pure light and energy, and something completely intangible by average humans like Kageyama.

He wasn't one to listen to gossip, nor believe what any random passerby said, but even he had to become curious at one point. And it was such curiosity that had had him accepting the offer made by Sugawara, an offer that had the others avert their gazes and suddenly look quite busy with what they were doing, and, _oh, is that a stain?_

And so he wiped his hands of soot, and got to work on the car ordered by the infamous Oikawa Tooru, his best friend right at his side, because God forbid Hinata leave him alone on this ' _dangerous shenanigan_ ', as the shortie had oh-so-gracefully put it.

Frankly, he wasn't quite sure what to expect when the car doors opened and two people stepped out. It was with baited breath that he stood near the old leather stools, a graveyard-worthy silence around him.

Two fancy dress shoes clicked against the floor, and -

It was a man.

Yes, Kageyama was quite observant, for it was, indeed, _a man_. But it seemed as his brain stopped there. He vaguely figured there had to be other words to describe him, but he could not find them. Words... Yes. _Words_. What were words again...?

Surely, no matter how reknown or dangerous a person is, they cannot steal breath and words away like this?

It was all so terribly odd, as the itching that had been present ever since his game with the bizarre trio seemed to worsen tenfold. It felt as if his wrist were on fire, and his hand shot towards it on its own accord, and with worrying speed.

His eyes jumped back towards the pair, before he made a slip-second decision, turned around and dashed through the back door.

  
  


~~~

  
  


He lied on the dirty floor, staring at the checkerboard pattern of the tiles in silence. His beat-up shoes slid down until his legs were completely stretched out. He threw his head back and groaned.

What the hell was he doing? They had to complete an important deal, and he had helped with it! He _needed_ to be there!

And it was with such thoughts in mind that Tobio tried to get up to face the others. Keyword: _tried_ , because as soon as he remembered white suits and black shirts he slumped back against the wall in defeat.

\- If anyone came in then, they'd think he'd been dropped there by a tornado, and on top of that was hiding from flesh-eating monsters. -

Distantly he could hear the voices of his co-workers accompanied by the deep one of Iwaizumi, if he so remembered correctly. The occasional drip of water from the rust-colored faucet was doing nothing to drown them out.

He glanced around him, until his eyes landed on a red radio sitting on top of a shelf filled with buckets and all kinds of creams. He darted up from his spot, and grabbed it as if it were a lifeline.

Tobio sat back down in his place, fiddling with the radio until it turned on.

  
  


“- _o_ _se my eyes at night_

_  
And wonder what would I be without you in my life_

_  
Everything was just a bore_

_  
All the things I did, seems I've do-_ ”

  
  


He exhaled loudly, closing his eyes. He turned up the music enough that he could not hear the people outside were doing, but not enough that they could hear him in turn.

“Alright,” Tobio said to himself, then scrambled to his feet. He brushed at his soiled pants, before snatching the radio up and warily walking towards the door. He had to be silent enough that they wouldn't notice him going out.

Usually, an average deal lasted about an hour, but seeing as how these lads were important, and all that, who knew how long it'd be before they left? Kageyama wasn't about to spend that much time cooped up in the crowded bathroom. He'd head over towards the tiny hill behind the garage, and listen to some music. He'd apologize after, and explain the weird feeling in his wrist. Hopefully Sugawara would understand.

Come to think of it, he had no idea what that feeling had been. He had not touched any of the Funny Stuff – as Hinata chose to lightly call drugs – in his life, and was positive he was as sober as could be.

As his hand touched the door handle, his wrist, or more like, the writing on his wrist abruptly started heating up, until it reached a point of near discomfort. On the brink of _too_ hot.

He felt sweat trail down his neck, and his eyebrows furrowed as the room suddenly seemed stifled and airless. Tobio wiped at his forehead, took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.

As he took a discreet step out of the bathroom, his wrist flared up so suddenly that he could not stop the wince that escaped him. He gripped his wrist, before hurrying off towards the backdoor. The writing on his wrist was so scorching it almost hurt his fingers.

Tobio ran outside until he was on the hill, under the shade of a huge beech tree. He felt as if he could breathe again, and not like he was going to go up in flames if so possible.

Scratching at his ankle, before he quickly brought his legs up to himself once he heard the telltale sound of the backdoor closing. Since he was sitting on the grass, he had no way of hearing the steps of the person, and thus could not know where they were.

His heart pounded against his ears, before he subtly peeked around the tree's trunk. His breath froze in his lungs, as he watched the tall man lean against the wall with a cigarette playing on his lips.

Oikawa was looking at his right wrist with an unreadable look in his eyes – which might've just been from the distance -, golden watch shining in the sunlight. He scratched at it absentmindedly, before raising his head up.

Tobio darted back behind his tree, his fingers twitching oddly, but there was no way he'd been seen.

The sound of the door opening came again, and this time Kageyama could tell who had come out.

“-u doing here?” Iwaizumi's voice said, and he sounded both exasperated and resigned.

“...” The silence stretched for a while, as if Oikawa was looking for something and did not want to respond.

“... I thought I saw someone out.” came the reply, and for some reason Tobio's heart started beating louder and faster. He was almost afraid the other two would hear it.

“You can't just leave like this, Shittykawa.” the shorter of the two said exasperatedly, and was met with a snicker that Kageyama felt would annoy him for days to an end. “Was something not to your standards?”

A wave of cold water washed over Tobio, as his fingers gripped tightly at the grass, listening attentively. If the others had somehow managed to anger this guy, who knew what'd happen?

He truly was sorry he'd chosen that exact moment to act like a spineless flake.

“Nah,” Oikawa said and Kageyama could almost see the nonchalant wave the other must've gave, “I just heard about this man, and he wasn't there. Where d'you suppose he is?”

“Who, Kageyama?” Iwaizumi asked, and Tobio felt his eyes widen in confusion and slight nervousness. What could these big shots possibly want with him?

“I don't know, I don't remember his name,” the other shrugged, and Kageyama felt there and then that this man would annoy him for a long while to come, though how he knew so he could not tell.

Iwaizumi seemed as exasperated as him. “How can you – You know what, nevermind. Come to think of it, I thought he'd be here too.”

“Hm,” was the only reply.

A silent moment passed, a bird chirping distantly, and Tobio still hiding with his wrist clutched to his chest. He looked at it in surprise. When had he grasped it again?

“Or maybe,” Oikawa hummed, mocking thoughtfulness. “He was here, and he decided to dash away like a spineless flake.”

That's what he'd said! How dare Oikawa steal Tobio's word-thoughts! And more importantly, how dare he insult him like this? The only one allowed to insult himself was, well, himself, and... alright, _maybe_ Hinata.

“Ugh, whatever, Shittykawa, let's just go.” The short amount of time he'd been spying on Oikawa left Tobio thinking that there was no way Oikawa would just leave. Call it a gut feeling, weirdly enough.

“Nah, I think I'll stay here a while longer,” the man – as Tobio called it, mind you – snickered, and Tobio had no doubt he was leaning back with his eyes closed like he owned the world.

“Why?” Iwaizumi asked him, and Kageyama could hear the clear confusion in his voice, as if Oikawa never, _never_ stayed in one place more than he had to.

“My wrist,” he said simply, and the other of the two seemed to understand, for he settled with a quiet ' _oh_ '.

Tobio, instead, was glancing at his own words with his eyebrows furrowed. Was Oikawa having the same hot, searing feeling in his wrist? What was going on?

“So?” Iwaizumi said expectantly, and not with a small amount of annoyance. Kageyama wondered what he could possibly be this irritated about.

“So.”

The sound of something being smacked came, before Iwaizumi hissed, “Who is it?”

Then Oikawa laughed. Tobio was surprised. He'd managed to somehow, _maybe_ figure out what they were talking about. Oikawa had found the person whose first words were on his wrist, and thus his so-called 'soulmate', as smart lads put it.

Tobio could not find where this was a laughable matter.

“Ah, Iwa-chan, you slay me,” Oikawa exhaled bemusedly, and Kageyama once again felt as if he could almost see the other wiping at his eyes.

“No, I haven't found them. Who could it even possibly be? That energetic shorthead, that bald guy? No, no, wait, don't tell me... That blonde with the glasses who looked like he'd rather be anywhere but there!”

Oikawa laughed amongst Iwaizumi's groans. “Sometimes I forget people actually fear you.” Iwaizumi said.

“Nah, I haven't found them,” Oikawa repeated, as if his companion hadn't said anything at all. “I've had the hot sensation people speak of, though.”

Kageyama's ears twitched. Maybe he'd get some answers.

“Wait,” Iwaizumi sounded lost, before it dawned on him, “That feeling people say happens to them before they met their soulmate?”

“Mhm,”

The two continued chatting, but Tobio could not hear a word of what they were saying. He stared at the pale blue, almost the teal of a certain Lamborghini Espada – though that was an unpleasant thought he'd rather not entertain – that belonged to the writing on his wrist.

_If you're going to hit them, hit them until they break._

Tobio clutched at his hand. He wasn't sure what the person whose words those were would be like, but he wasn't certain he was ready to meet them yet either.

But, he warily looked at the swooping edges of the words, it seemed as if he'd have no choice but to meet them in a short while.

“-onight. Let's go.” Kageyama zoned back in, before the door opened and shut.

He stood up.

“Well,” he said out loud for no reason at all.

  
  


~~~

  
  


“Come on, Bakageyama!” Hinata said loudly from his spot, a wide grin playing on his lips. The shortie was leaning on his shoulder, peering down at his cards.

Tobio shouldn't be letting him do this, considering Hinata's incapability of maintaining a poker face, but still, he did not argue when his best friend invaded his personal space with no problem.

He shifted his eyes on the cards laid on the table. Then to his opponents. He placed down a four of spades, and watched the men despair.

“Ah, man, ya got me again!” Teruushima Yuuji said playfully, before throwing down his own hand. “It's good we're not playin' for real, eh? Otherwise you'd leech us of our money!”

Kageyama sketched a faint smile as he watched the other players grin and murmur agreements. He raised his whiskey and mocked a toast, before throwing it back. Hinata clapped him on the back with a loud laugh, before he scuttled towards the bar with murmurs of getting another drink.

Tobio shuffled the deck for another game. Kuroo's bar was well-known, and it came as no surprise that it was completely packed on a Friday night.

Their table was in a far corner, at which four people – including him - had managed to squeeze in. The chatter from other people made it a little difficult to hear each other, but not so as it was unbearable. The night had only just begun, and they'd played two games up 'til now. Tobio was having a great time, and not just because he was winning.

After the incident yesterday he'd explained himself to the others, at which Sugawara had waved away his apologies instead asking about his writing in excitement. He truly was lucky he had such great friends, eh?

He was brought out of his daze when a chair scraped across the table from him. A man sat down with a smile on his face, toothpick shifting from one corner of his mouth to the other.

“Got room for another?” the stranger said, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, and running a hand through his wavy hair.

Around the table rang out a chorus of 'yes', 'sure', 'why not?'s, accompanied by friendly pats on the back of the newcomer who introduced himself as Akkai.

“So, I heard you were the undefeated champion,” Akkai stated, smiling at Kageyama. It wasn't a threatening one, but it still had Tobio scrunching up his shoulders a little.

“No,” Kageyama said, wringing his fingers under the table, “I've lost plenty times.”

“Uh-huh,” the man hummed, before taking the toothpick out of his mouth and casually placing his finger on it. This sole action somehow seemed warning. Akkai turned towards the rest of the men. “A game of Kemps. Whaddya say?”

Everyone started talking loudly at once, calling teams and chatting about signs. Tobio raised his voice a little to be heard over all the ruckus, “We don't have enough players for Kemps. We need an even number of --”

“I'll join.” came a relaxed voice which had their whole table quieting down. Like in a movie, everyone's heads slowly turned around to face the man. He did not seem to mind the attention, instead offering them a smile that seemed to hide so many secrets. Tobio suddenly felt the urge to run away.

“O-oh, yeah, alright. Scoot over.” Yuuji, for his part, merely stuttered a little at the beginning. They made space for Oikawa, who grabbed a nearby chair and settled comfortably in their midst, as if he weren't another type of being completely. Tobio's wrist flared up, and he was glad his hands were under the table, and thus out of view.

“We're playing Kemps,” another started, his name evading Tobio. _Yeri, Yuuri?_ He looked as if he wanted to fearfully add ' _If that's alright with you_?', but he refrained, and Tobio was immensely glad. 

The man jumped at the opportunity of discussing teams, which gave them the excuse of not having to just sit there. Kageyama swirled his drink around, watching them all. Usually, when they played Kemps he got paired up with Yuuji, which wasn't so bad. He was easy to read, even if he got a bit enthusiastic when he got the cards he wanted.

Through the moving bodies his eyes met brown eyes, which seemed darker in the bar's faint lighting. They were sparkling, and suddenly something coiled around his wrist like a hot snake searching for his pulse. He looked away, instead nodding at Yuuji, who seemed perfectly content with keeping the usual teams.

Akkai got paired up with the Yeri guy, after which he shot Tobio a wide grin. “Prepare to lose, King!” he said loudly, accompanied by cheers, which weren't really because of Tobio potentially losing, but rather because this was bound to be an interesting game.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw multiple others trickle around their table discreetly, wondering if he'd really be beaten. He almost rolled his eyes. 

He sneaked a glance back at Oikawa, who was already gazing at him it seemed. Once he noticed him looking, the man brought his hand up in mock salute, which earned him a few chuckles from left and right. Tobio looked at Rin shuffling the deck, if only not to blow a fuse. They'd never even spoken a word to one another, yet Kageyama was already annoyed by his mere presence.

He stood up from his seat, nudging his head towards the bar. Yuuji understood, and followed him with his hands deep in his pockets like he was as relaxed as could be.

The relaxation was quickly wiped from his face once it was only just the two of them. “What are we going to do? I heard Oikawa is unbelievably brilliant at playing cards!” he whispered, running a hand through his gelled-back hair.

Tobio rolled his eyes, before lightly patting at the man's shoulder. At least he tried to, because as soon as his hand made contact with the other's shoulder, it  _burned_ ,  _burned_ like  _hell_ . He yelped embarrassingly enough, before snatching his hand away as if it'd melt any moment now.

He ignored Yuuji's worried question, shaking fingers prodding at his skin.  _What the hell...?_

“Whatever, it doesn't matter. “ he waved away his partner's concerns, before settling in on his game face, this time not touching Yuuji, just in case he was still charged with static or something. “We have to figure out a sign that's average, but still subtle. I've a feeling that b- Oikawa is very observant. We should have some fake signs, just to be sure.”

Yes, he was pretty talkative when discussing methods of crushing his opponents.

  
  


~~~

  
  


As everyone settled in their respective seats, Kageyama sneaked one last glance at Oikawa. The man was leaning back in his seat casually, swirling a rust-colored drink that hadn't been there a moment ago. He was looking at cards being dealt around with a poorly-concealed smile. Kageyama didn't know why he could be so pleased, for he hadn't even seen his hand yet.

He looked away as soon as those eyes turned towards him. He ignored the smile he saw out of the corner of his eye, and the rapid pounding of his heart. He pulled at his shirt's collar, suddenly feeling as if he didn't have enough space to swallow. Was it just him or was it hotter in here?

He suddenly felt nervous, and not regarding the underlying challenge Akkai had put forward. He couldn't back down, though, and so he settled at discreetly rubbing at his sweaty nape. Tobio avoided looking into Oikawa's eyes, instead watching as the cards were finally dealt around.

“Let's play.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> very, very short chapter but I'm working on the next one! ヽ༼⊙_⊙༽ﾉ man, school is kicking my ass already  
> hope you enjoy!

  
  


  
  


"Way out! Man, you're bloody brilliant at this!"

Kageyama's mouth soured even further, as he gripped his sleeves tightly. He wasn't a sore loser, he knew when to accept defeat and compliment his opponent. But this was too much, even for him.

"Nah, just a stroke of luck," came Oikawa's voice, a cheeky twirl to his words. He leaned back in his seat, scratching at his chin casually. Tobio narrowed his eyes at the fly buzzing on the table in front of him.

"Hey," said Yuuji quietly, patting his shoulder. He leaned down until he was at Kageyama's ear level, and spoke low enough that the other people couldn't hear him. Which was all fine and well, but Tobio had no doubt the others would not notice them even if they shouted, for they were too busy fawning over one relaxed Oikawa.

"Don't flip your wig," his teammate said, forcing Kageyama to look at him. Yuuji offered him a smile, his eyebrow ring glinting in the dim lighting. "We'll take it back, you'll see. Now, I know you have a plan. Lay it on me."

Tobio sketched a small smile too, before he stood up discreetly, and turned around to head towards the bar. He caught Oikawa's eye through the flurry of men around the other, but he refused to maintain visual contact. He sat down at one of the stools, and felt Yuuji sit down near him.

"So?" came the expectant question.

Kageyama raised a hand towards a waiter signalling he wanted a drink, before turning around slightly and offering Yuuj a minimal grin. Yuuji's eyes widened.

"Here's what we're going to do."

  
  


~~~

  
  


"Alright. Everyone good?" said Eri, who was shuffling the deck this time. From around came cheers of agreement and raised glasses. Kageyama shot a sly look towards Yuuji, who was fiddling with his fingers but was still smiling.

"As we'll ever be," Akkai replied, leaning back in his seat with a wide grin. Once he caught Tobio looking at him, he shot him a wink. Tobio wrinkled his nose and raised his eyebrows internally.

The cards were dealt around.

A focused silence fell over the table, with the occasional hand jumping towards the cards laid out on the table. And so it kept on, until Ahitsu, Oikawa's partner for the round, jumped up and said, "Kemps!"

A number of groans rounded the table, before it was quickly overcome by people congratulating Oikawa and calling him a geinus, and what-not. Kageyama placed his deck face-down, and exhaled in resignation. His hand hadn't been too fortunate that game, so he wasn't feeling too bad about this defeat.

He looked up towards Oikawa, who stood up and raised his glass of something that looked like whiskey. Over the loud cheers the man threw back his drink with a big grin on his face.

He turned towards the crowd, and this time Kageyama froze. It wasn't an illusion. Oikawa was looking straight in his eyes, even if his words were for the whole table.

"If you're going to hit them, hit them until they break."

_..._

_...Ugh._

Tobio rolled his eyes in annoyance, as Oikawa was met with cheerful enthusiasm, and bemused teasing. The man was still looking at Tobio, his eyes crinkled in amusement at the corners.

Who even said that? Kageyama rolled his eyes once again, before swirling the icecubes left in his empty glass around. Apparently Oikawa, that's who. He scratched at his wrist, which was tingling quite offensively.

He was grateful this was the only night he'd have to deal with the man. He had no doubt he would not be able to bear the obnoxious person more than that.

"Alright, alright," Oikawa's laugh quietened down the crowd a little, though people were still shoving one another around playfully. They sat back down, and the imposing man leaned back in his chair, one leg crossed over the other in a display of casual superiority. Suddenly, he looked at Kageyama, lips closed in a wide smile, and eyes wide trying to display a false sense of trust. Kageyama wasn't fooled by that. He froze, and expected the worst.

And the worst came.

"You could use my advice, eh, Tobio-chan?" the man kept his eyes firmly trained on Tobio's face as he said this, smirk widening in glee. The heads of everyone turned around to peer at Kageyama, before one of them broke the silence with a loud guffaw.

Kageyama sat immovable and unbreathing in his chair. How did this man know his name? Heck,  _why_ did he know his name? He gulped, suddenly feeling as if he had just stepped in a trap. Actually, images pulled up through his head as if in a movie, he'd most likely stepped into the trap two days ago. 

  
  


“ _Nice to meet you, Kageyama.”_

“ _It won't take long. Just a short Chase the Ace game, what do you say?”_

“ _So, Kageyama, I've heard of you. You're quite famous, you know?”_

“ _... I thought I saw someone out.”_

“ _I just heard about this man, and he wasn't there. Where d'you suppose he is?”_

  
  


He brought up his hand to his throat, loosening his collar a little, his actions dodgy and nervous. He somehow felt as if he'd just become part of a bigger ordeal than all of the people sitting at this table. He swallowed again, wanting to run away.

Instead, Tobio looked towards Yuuji, who had a faint grin playing on his lips as well. As if feeling Kageyama's eyes on him, he turned to face him, and offered a guilty wave of his hand.

Suddenly, Tobio narrowed his eyes. Darn it, he wasn't scared of this man! He'd heard of his supposedly bloody ordeals and all that, alright. But until now, Oikawa had been all show and no go. He rolled up his sleeves determinedly, this time rolling his neck around until he heard a loud  _pop_ .  _He_ was winning this round. 

RIn noticed his previously-dormant determination flare up, and he chuckled loudly, slapping Kageyama's back. "Why, I've not seen that expression on your face in a while, King!"

_King_ . Kageyama looked up at Oikawa, who was staring at him, or rather Rin's hand still on his shoulder. He stared back until Oikawa's dark eyes faced his own, a glimmer of something, probably amusement, shining in the murky depths.

_That's right_ . He offered Oikawa a faint but sweet, sweet smile.  _The King is back._

Oikawa's grin widened.

  
  


~~~

  
  


"Alright! About time, eh?" people cheered and patted him on the back, making Kageyama almost choke on his drink. He batted the hands away, and feeling bold, he straightened up and faced Oikawa.

The man was watching him, and raised his drink in a toast towards him. He was looking smug for some reason, which had Tobio narrowing his eyes in suspicion.  _Heck, he'd just lost, what was he looking so pleased about!_

  
  


He cleared his throat, before talking over the ruckus (annoyingly enough, it wasn't as easy as it had been for Oikawa). "It's just a win, Yuuji and I have lost the last three games."

He ignored Yuuji's grumpy mutter, before turning in his seat and facing Oikawa, who looked as if he watching a private show put on just for him, and was enjoying it immensely. His wrist tingled, and he scratched at it with his other hand.

"It seems I do not need your input, Oikawa-san."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he shuddered violently, and if he were standing he would've crumpled to the floor no doubt. His right hand darted towards his wrist reflexively, as if something burning had dropped on it.

Quickly enough, he pulled down the sleeve of his shirt, before darting glances around the table. It seemed no one had noticed, thank God. They were all to busy laughing and exchanging cigarettes.

He blew out a loud breath, sinking down in his chair. What the hell was that? Maybe he was coming down with a fever? That was an unpleasant thought. He didn't want to miss work for some random cold.

He failed to notice a pair of eyes following his every twitch with hawk-like accuracy, a grin not unlike that of a fox playing on the person's lips.

  
  


  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhhh..... hello.  
> sorry this took so long, but man i underestimated the amount of homework teachers can give us (ಥ⌣ಥ)  
> it's kind of short, and idk when the next one will be up. still, I hope you enjoy!

_Two days before_

  
  


_Bang_.

The smoke swirled up from the Colt M1900, a monstrous dance in its deep shadows. The man tilted it from side to side, admiring the black of the handgun almost reverently. He'd seen it tens of thousands of times already, but the familiarity of it all was comforting, and its odd beauty never ceased to amaze him. He'd had it for so long he might even dare call it a friend!  
  
  


Oikawa smiled bemusedly at his train of thought, before stuffing the Colt in his pocket. But surely you didn't stuff you friends down your pants. Or...?

He huffed an exhale, lips quirking up at the corners minutely. He brought up his left hand, taking a deep drag of the sweet, sweet cigar. He always did have a fancy for sweet things.

Oikawa fell back in his seat, watching the people around him chatter excitedly, voices overlapping one another's. He pointedly ignored the two individuals snuggling closer to his arms, some even daring to trace circles on his suit. He disliked so many idiotic people surrounding him, but he greatly enjoyed observing them as one might an exotic animal.

He fixed his eyes on the man playing cards three tables ahead - he was losing - remembering Iwa-chan's words.

...

_Oikawa leaned back in his leather armchair, watching his best friend swirl a cup of rust-colored liquid._

_"Karasuno Garage," he settled on at last, exhaling a puff of smoke. Iwa-chan turned around, raising one eyebrow in curiosity._

_"Why? They're on the edge of town. Surely it'd be easier to go to one of these big places." he said, pulling at his sleeves as he liked to do._

_"It'd be a nice change for a while, don't you think?" Oikawa replied, remembering all the people he'd heard talking about the Karasuno Garage with huge grins and that one happy glow that only belonged to satisfied customers. "If we don't like it, then we can just never go there anymore, eh?"_

_Iwa-chan huffed a breath, but did not argue. "Fine, but for everyone's sake I hope they're not spineless people. I hate when they start fidgeting around when you appear like you're some kind of big hotshot."_

_Oikawa grinned, showing off all his pearly whites. "Nee, Iwa-chan, you wound me~"_

_The other merely scoffed, before grabbing his pack of cigarettes and heading towards the entrance. "I'm going to Kuroo's to meet with Akaashi and Bokuto for a game of cards. You wanna come?" he asked, body already halfway out the door._

_Oikawa shook his head at him, standing up and grabbing his coat from his seat. “You go ahead. I have some business to take care of, and then I might join you.”_

_They both knew he would not._

“ _Report to me if anything interesting happens, would you?” Oikawa grinned at him, being met with a nod and the soft sound of the door shutting._

_He took one last swig from his drink._

_..._

“ _That man is really something,” Iwaizumi stated, leaning back in his chair and loosening his tie. Oikawa raised an eyebrow at his relaxed behavior, rubbing at his chin in thought._

“ _Oh? What do you mean?”_

“ _Akaashi noticed him first,” Iwaizumi said, eyes sightly unfocused as if he were remembering that which he was speaking of. “But I'll admit I noticed him from the moment I stepped foot into the bar. His frown really is as grumpy as they say.”_

_Oikawa's mood perked up, smile curling at his lips. Interesting._

“ _And? Knowing Akaashi he probably invited him to play with you, didn't he?”_

_Iwaizumi nodded, and even smiled faintly. “Yes, and I'm pretty sure he was going to win if not for his best friend. He was watching us like you do, almost as if he were analyzing.”_

_Oikawa grinned, and waved encourangingly. “Then what stopped him?”_

“ _Some guy was threatening his companion, I think.” Iwaizumi said, picking at his nails. He was the picture of nonchalance, but Oikawa could see he was the slightest bit upset he'd lost a worthy opponent._

“ _Well, he seems interesting. What was his name?”_

_His friend opened his mouth to answer when the door opened with a loud slam and in came one overly-enthusiastic Bokuto. Their previous discussion was quickly forgotten once the man started speaking of their enemies._

_..._

  
  


Oikawa smiled slightly, running one hand through his hair. How funny it should be that he remembered this seemingly insignificant discussion right now. He turned over his wrist, where dark, very dark words were printed neatly.

It tingled pleasantly, making his posture relax and his heart fill with warmth. How peculiar. Here he was, feeling at ease and as if he weren't the man in almost permanent danger, just from a simple glance at those words.

Oikawa believed in soulmates.

When he'd picked up the newspaper one day, and read that one article that would change his life, he'd taken it as granted. As an universal truth. The sky was blue, the grass was green, and everyone had a soulmate.

Iwaizumi had shaken his head fondly at him the first time he'd brought it up, calling him a 'hopeless romantic' and whatnot, but Oikawa knew the other was the same. He could not miss the faraway look his best friend got in his eyes whenever he looked at his wrist, the smallest involuntary twitch of his lips making his face look almost like a child still untainted from the poison of the world.

He knew. But he did not say anything, instead merely watching him affectionately.

(If Iwa-chan ever found his soulmate, though, he'd tease him to hell and back, that's for sure)

“-eetie,” a woman cooed in his ear, crimson-red nail swirling at his suit. He blinked back until the room was back in focus.

He opened his mouth to tell the woman something, when Iwaizumi's voice came from above him.

“Come on, Shittykawa. We have to be there in ten minutes.”

He grinned at the pouts he was met from left and right, throwing a joke with ease to ensure the mood was still light. As he casually walked away with Iwaizumi, the forced smile relaxed, making way for an exaggerated pout. He bumped into his friend's shoulder.

“How dare you take me away from such interesting discussions, Iwa-chan!”

“Oh, shut up,” Iwaizumi snapped at him, but his eyes held mirth. Oikawa plopped in the car's seat with a satisfied huff, breathing in the smell of leather.

Iwaizumi pulled out of the bar's alleyway, and onto the main road. He leaned back, and turned the radio on.

  
  


“- _aw her face, now I'm a believer_

  
_Not a trace of doubt in my mind_

  
_I'm in love_

  
_I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried_ -”

  
  


Oikawa sang along with the radio, earning glares from the driver. The complaints were quickly covered by his voice, as he turned the volume up.

_Well_ , he fancied, gazing at his wrist, _he couldn't wait to meet his soulmate!_

  
  


~~~

  
  


About three minutes later they were pulling up in the make-shift driveway of the infamous Karasuno Garage. He stepped out of the car, and immediately felt something different in the air.

It was as if he'd spent the whole day surrounded by dust and suddenly entered a field of grass. The air curling around his lungs was pleasant, and his bones felt easier than ever.

The smile that came on his face was not forced.

“Welcome to our shop,” a silver-haired man greeted them, a polite smile on his face. He was put-together, not even a stain of soot on his clothes, which was odd considering they were in a car workshop.

Oikawa fled as soon as the paperwork started.

Well, that was not the only reason. He'd been chatting with a brown-haired man who'd introduced himself as Daichi Sawamura, when a quick movement behind him caught his attention. It was a blur, so fast that it was gone in a second, leaving Oikawa wondering whether it had really been there at all.

A door swung shut from where the blur had come, and he knew he was not losing it. That had been a person.

He followed, and found himself outside, near a hill. On top of that hill was a tree, and he was almost sure the mystery person was there. But he wouldn't push. He'd wait until the other came out on their own accord.

And well, if they weren't there at all, that was too bad.

He lighted a cigarette and leaned back on the wall, bringing his right wrist up. The words hidden under his sleeve were drilled into his mind, almost like a song he wasn't capable of ridding himself of. But it wasn't unpleasant. He never wanted to forget those words.

He looked up as the sound of faint shuffling came around, and had time to see that dark blur again before it was back behind the tree. He hid a smile under the pretense of scratching at his chin.

The tingling in his wrist alerted him something was different. It was barely there, a warm prod at his veins, and the first sign he'd gotten from his writing. His eyes widened, but he'd no time to look at it because the door opened.

“What are you doing here?” Iwaizumi asked, and Oikawa could hear the exasperated fondness in his voice. He was already resigned to Oikawa's behavior.

He gazed at the tree, then at his wrist. The silence stretched for a little while longer until he spoke.

“... I thought I saw someone out.” And it was not a lie, but he had not had the intention of revealing that, in case the mystery person decided to pop out. His eyes widened slightly, hand almost raising towards his throat. It was almost as if the words had been plucked straight out of him before he'd the time to stuff them down.

“You can't just leave like this, Shittykawa.” the shorter of the two said, rolling his eyes. Oikawa snickered at how much Iwa-chan reminded him of a mother. “Was something not to your standards?”

That was funny. He'd not spent more than ten minutes there, how'd it be possible to find something not up to standards?

“Nah,” Oikawa waved nonchalantly, “I just heard about this man, and he wasn't there. Where d'you suppose he is?”

It wasn't a direct lie. He was not looking for someone in particular, but rather the warm feeling in his wrist that seemed heavier by the minute.

“Who, Kageyama?” Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows, and Oikawa struggled to keep his cover. He shrugged, deciding going along with it was the best course of action to take. He didn't know of any 'Kageyama', truth be said, but whatever.

“I don't know, I don't remember his name,” he shrugged again, mentally patting himself on the back. He was only half-paying attention, as now the heat radiating from the writing on his wrist was undoubtedly noticeable. His eyes darted around, recalling the newspaper article he'd read.

If that had been right, then he'd be meeting his soulmate soon, probably in a day or two.

He only half-heartedly responded to Iwaizumi, at one point feeling a surge of _something_ through his wrist. He grasped at it subtly, heartbeat picking up. This was the first feeling he'd ever gotten from his soulmate, and it seemed like... _anger_.

“-tykawa, let's just go.”

He almost snorted.

“Nah, I think I'll stay here a while longer,” he snickered again, somehow finding the whole situation funny. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what his soulmate might be like.

“Why?” Iwaizumi asked him, and Oikawa could hear the confusion in his voice. He wasn't even trying to hide it.

“My wrist.”

His companion sucked in a quiet breath, before shifting from one foot to another awkwardly. Oikawa enjoyed it greatly. It wasn't often that Iwaizumi was speechless, and it was quite entertaining.

“So?” his friend asked, wanting him to elaborate.

“So.”

He knew the smack was coming but it still hurt. He rubbed at his neck, hearing Iwaizumi ask who it was. He barely kept himself from laughing.

Actually, he _did_ laugh, because the idea of him finding his soulmate and not telling Iwaizumi was just too funny to be comprehensible.

“Ah, Iwa-chan, you slay me,” he wiped at his eyes where invisible tears were. He saw Iwaizumi raise his hand threateningly.

“No, I haven't found them. Who could it even possibly be? That energetic shorthead, that bald guy? No, no, wait, don't tell me... That blonde with the glasses who looked like he'd rather be anywhere but there!”

He shuddered just thinking about it.

“Sometimes I forget people actually fear you.” Iwaizumi groaned.

Oikawa ignored him and repeated, “Nah, I haven't found them,” - here he paused for dramatic effect - “I've had the hot sensation people speak of, though.”

“Wait,” Iwaizumi sounded lost, before it dawned on him, “That feeling people say happens to them before they met their soulmate?”

He hummed in confirmation, before Iwaizumi started asking him to elaborate. He brushed off his concerns, even though he was as nervous as Iwaizumi, if not more.

“I'll tell you more about it tonight. Let's go.” before he opened the door and walked back to his beloved car, not looking back to see if Iwaizumi was following.

His wrist tingled in promise, the writing hidden underneath his teal dress shirt.

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well look who's back and with a short chapter to match! It is i! (;´༎ຶٹ༎ຶ`)

Kageyama did not like this, did not like this _at all_.

He turned around discreetly, glancing over the top of his coffee towards outside, where quite the loud commotion was happening. But still, even for the crowds which had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, he could clearly see the pearly white smile, bright for the whole world to see.

He grumpily sniffed in distaste, seeing one teenage boy come sprinting towards the crowds as if Hell was on his feet.

It had all happened too fast, but the point of beginning was, no doubt, last night, during their card game.

  
  


~~~

  
  


"Four." Oikawa said and placed down a four of clubs. Kageyama rubbed at his chin in thought, wondering what the man had planned. He wasn't the next in round, Akkai was, but he still wanted to figure out the man's trick.

Akkai scratched at the nape of his neck, sending his black locks array. "Well, I got no idea where you got a four from, but here's a three." and he threw down said three of hearts. Kageyama ignored the wink once again sent his way.

"A three?" Oikawa mused, leaning slightly forwards as if to get a better view of the cards. Kageyama knew that was just a feint though, as Oikawa had not taken his eyes off _him_ since the moment he'd first spoken. "You certain?"

Kageyama watched Akkai nod with a self-satisfied little quirk of his lips, and figured he'd just about managed to read Oikawa.

He said nothing as he put forwards an ace of hearts, even as his lips wanted to form a grin on their own accord.

Oikawa released a quiet ' _huh_ ', before glancing at Ren, who was the next in line. Kageyama placed his cards face-down on the table and pushed his chair back, everyone's heads turning towards him.

"I'll be back." he simply said, before turning around and heading towards the bathroom.

“Not a man of many words, is he?” he heard Oikawa say, and amused lilt to his voice. His eyebrows twitched in annoyance.

Yuuji laughed and replied, “You have no idea -”

Kageyama shook his head as the table became too far away to hear what was being said.

Oikawa Tooru was... well, peculiar, to put it so. From the little snippets of conversations he'd managed to catch on this subject, he'd been half-expecting Oikawa to never even approach their table, never-mind him sitting down for a game of cards with them.

The man was relaxed, and easy-going, and earned everybody's good graces almost immediately. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, and completely forgotten all the bloody ordeals they'd heard about Oikawa.

Or perhaps just that was Oikawa's plan. Earn himself the blessing of the public, and so he'd have no enemies.

Kageyama didn't know. But what he did know, was that the dangerous gangster he'd heard of was definitely there, hidden under layers upon layers of playful jokes and cheeky laughs. He'd not missed the red glint which seemed to always overtake Oikawa's eyes when he won, nor the sharp turn of his smirk turning feral when he'd no doubt figured out his opponents' plans.

He rubbed at his chin grumpily, and pushed open the door to the bathroom.

He did not know what to make of Oikawa Tooru. And such it was, that it was a good thing he'd not have to meet the other again. Though that's what he thought, his heart seemed to squeeze in on itself at that, leaving a weird feeling in his chest.

Kageyama pushed the tap up and scrubbed at his hands violently, watching his fingers go over the teal writing on his wrist.

His train of thoughts screeched to a halt as the door opened, and in came a pair of footsteps set at a leisurely place. His head jumped up, and in the mirror he saw both his (hopefully) inscrutable reflection, and a casual Oikawa leaning on the wall and watching him, hands in pockets and smile in place.

Kageyama looked back down at the tap, closed it, and shook his hands of water. A tense silence fell over the bathroom as he wiped his hands on the white towel and pulled his sleeves over his wrists. He turned around and gazed at the other warily, wondering why he was not saying anything.

“...”

If possible, it seemed as if Oikawa's eyes glinted and his lips quirked up minutely further.

“...What?” he finally gave in, not looking directly into the man's gaze, but rather a point just above his right shoulder.

“You work at the Karasuno Garage, do you?” Oikawa finally said, and it seemed as if the walls of the bathroom would soon close in on them both.

“Yes,” Kageyama replied awkwardly, because what else was he supposed to do? He did not want Oikawa to know where he worked, but there was no other thing to do.

“I didn't see you earlier today, though. I stopped by to pick up a car.” Oikawa continued casually, and Kageyama grit his teeth because _what else were you supposed to do at a retail shop other than pick a car_.

“I was out running some errands.” he offered as an explanation, and wondered why he even felt compelled to answer. This was a weird situation. What was Oikawa doing asking him these questions as if they were friends?”

Oikawa hummed in response, then crossed his arms in a show of amusement. Kageyama avoided his flickering eyes. “Oh? Well, you have a beautiful tree in the back.”

He clenched his fists. No way did Oikawa know he had been the one hiding outside, but there was just something about his cheeky tone that had Kageyama thinking Oikawa knew exactly what he was talking about and was annoying him only for a laugh.

“Thanks,” he grit out and, deciding he was done with this odd conversation, gestured towards the overall direction of the door. “Shall we?”

Oikawa did not spare it a glance, instead bringing up his hand to inspect his nails nonchalantly. “I noticed a closed shop just over the road. It's a shame it's been shut down.”

Kageyama's hands fell back at his side, seeing Oikawa had no intention to leave, and would rather hold a conversation in a bathroom. “Yes, it wasn't doing well. It used to sell clothes.”

Oikawa looked up with a smile that made his eyes crinkle at the corners. “Hmm. How interesting.”

“Yes, well, now we should be getting back to the game, should we?” Kageyama said with an underlining tone of finality. He turned around towards the entrance, and managed to make three steps and think something was wrong before feeling something cold pressed against his back.

He stopped dead on his feet, hand on the door handle and nose just about five centimeters away from the door. The cold weight nudged his back a little, almost casually.

“Never turn your back on a man with a gun.” a warm voice hummed complacently, and an equally warm body accompanied the gun pressed in his back. Kageyama clenched the door handle tighter, heart pounding loudly in his throat until he was afraid it'd pop out of his mouth and fall with a _splat_ on the floor.

He'd been right. Oikawa was still a dangerous man, and for whatever reason, he had a bone to pick with Kageyama. He racked his brain for an answer as to when he'd annoyed him. Perhaps it had just been his overall unimpressedness regarding his existence.

“...If you wanted me dead, then I'd be a cooling corpse on the floor by now.” he decided to say, because it was the truth. Oikawa was just threatening him right now, perhaps, or maybe he was playing around with him until ultimately offing him.

A breathy laugh made the hair on his neck stand up and his shoulder stiffen.

“Smart,” Oikawa said and Kageyama could hear the grin in his voice. What irked him the most, was how he still seemed relaxed and as if he'd all the time in the world, as if the possibility of someone wanting to go to the bathroom was nonexistent.

“...Why are you doing this?” he hissed, eyes burning holes in the wood of the door, imagining it was Oikawa's head instead.

“Just teaching you a lesson.” the man said and the gun was gone. Kageyama whirled around and pushed himself flat against the door, watching Oikawa push an elegant gun in his pocket, as if he was not afraid of the possibility of accidentally shooting himself in the leg. Kageyama wished such an accident would happen.

“You should keep your eyes out for the shop.” Oikawa supplied helpfully, just before Tobio threw open the door and walk-ran towards the table where the others were still sitting.

He grabbed his jacket off the back of his seat, threw down a couple of banknotes, offered a flippant, and quite stuttered, response to the questions aimed his way, and was out the door of that blasted bar.

  
  


~~~

  
  


Kageyama stabbed his toast with a toothpick, ignoring the snicker the action earned him from Tsukishima. He narrowed his eyes at the tiny, smiling figure across the street.

_That darned Oikawa better not get any crazy ideas._

“Hey,” a warm, comforting voice said, accompanied by a hand on his shoulder. He turned to face Sugawara, and saw worry and confusion shining in his eyes. “You alright?”

“Yes,” he said and avoided Sugawara's eyes, because he always felt as if Sugawara could read his thoughts when looking in his eyes.

“It's fine for us, you know.” the man tried to comfort him. Kageyama had not the heart to tell him what the problem was. “In fact, because he is so popular, there will be many around these places, and who knows? Many of them will come to our shop as a result. It's good for business.”

Kageyama grunted as he watched Oikawa entertain the public with a charming smile, and a leisurely wave of his teal-adorned arm.

_Yes, Kageyama. Think of the business._

Seeing him nod, Sugawara turned around with a satisfied smile that quickly fell when seeing Nishinoya and Tanaka.

“Nishinoya, you animal what are you doi- ?!”

“Hey,” Hinata's voice came from his right, and Kageyama turned around to see his best friend sit down near him with a breakfast plate of his own. “Interesting happenings, eh?” he said, wiggling his eyebrows in a way-too-amused way for the situation they were currently dealing with.

“No,” Kageyama snapped at him intelligently, forgoing looking at the lively crowd across the street. “What is he even doing.”

Hinata laughed loudly and whacked his shoulders like the idiot he was. “Who knows? As Sugawara said, it isn't too bad for us!”

“Not for you, maybe,” Tobio murmured, frowning down at his buttered toast he'd yet to eat.

Not having heard him, his friend jumped off his chair and scuttled away to where Nishinoya was tinkering with a car while Tanaka was distracting Sugawara.

Tobio heaved a big breath and pushed his plate back. Running a hand through his bangs, he pushed back his seat and stood up, ready to start work. He shot a glance at a tiny Oikawa in the distance.

How hard could it possibly be? It wasn't as if they'd have to talk, and hopefully Kageyama would manage to never speak with the other again.

He gazed at the other one last time. It could've been the light, but he could've sworn Oikawa was facing towards Karasuno Garage. He was grinning.

Yeah, how hard could it possibly be?

  
  



End file.
